Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Journal
by Tom Pokenutter
Summary: An amnesiac Totodile wakes up in the woods, remembering only that he's a human. Thanks to some unforseen circumstances, he winds up as part of a rescue team.
1. Entry 1

September 10th

I awaken surrounded by darkness.

Mind you, this is nothing new. I believe that this is normal, but I can't be sure. Although, I get the feeling that some sound and some artificial light normally wake me up. Perhaps something is missing from the equation?

I sit a while, and let my eyes adjust to the darkness. Slowly, the place where I find myself becomes visible. A large, square-shaped room. Am I in captivity?

No… There are exits- or entrances, I can't tell. Four of them. Two on the East wall, one on the North, and another to the West. Wait- how can I tell the direction? I don't know…

Beyond the sights, more things become apparent. The sounds of this place speak the loudest to me. I hear feral growls coming from the North, so I probably shouldn't go that way. To the West, the passageway is pitch-black. To the East, the two passageways appear safest. I elect to take that route.

I stand, and note that this place is much bigger than I first surmised. I had estimated that the roof would be only just above my head, but it is actually much higher. I wonder why I had guessed such low numbers. Maybe something is wrong with my sight?

I take a few fumbling steps, noting how tough the simple task of walking is. Have my legs grown shorter? Am I just groggy? What's going on?

I proceed down one of the hallways, groping for the walls, using them to guide me. I can hear water falling off in the distance. Perhaps I may find some answers as to where I am by following the sound.

I follow it for around two minutes, relying on nothing but the sound to guide me. Soon, I reach its source- a large waterfall. It does not fall into a small lake, or river as one might expect, but directly strikes the ground. Amazingly, it does not form a puddle or pond. Instead, it seeps into cracks in the ground. These cracks must be deeper than they appear. I keep that in mind, and tread carefully towards the waterfall.

I peer up to the top. Stars wink down at me. So, this explains where I am. Some sort of subterranean cave.

In addition, I know that I'm not very far from the surface. The waterfall may be large, but it is only twenty feet high or so. At least, given the strange proportions of this place, it appears to be twenty feet high.

I turn around, ready to backtrack, and look for the exit. But, to my surprise, the passageway that I entered from has vanished. In its place is a solid rock wall. I go and inspect the wall. It is indeed solid, and I can't get through.

I peer around the room, but there are no other passages. I'm walled in.

I turn back to the waterfall, and take another look upwards. I consider trying to look behind the waterfall for a climbable wall, but I immediately decide against it. The wall is probably slick, and even if I reach the top, I will likely be pummeled by the source of the water, and end up plastered on the floor of the cave.

I turn back to the wall, and am shocked to see my passage. It definitely wasn't there a moment before, and yet now, here it was! I decide not to question it, and proceed down the passage.

I find that something is wrong midway down the passageway. I had turned left in order to enter the waterfall room, and thus would have to turn right in order to backtrack. However, a left turn awaits me. I turn around, ready to check if I'd missed my turn, when I realize that I've been caught unawares again. The passageway behind me still exists, but the room it leads into is the one that I'd awoken in.

I proceed, and examine the room. There doesn't appear to be any trick to this place- it just rearranges itself whenever no one is looking. That makes it all the more intimidating.

I step towards the center of the room, and am surprised as anything when I trip up a flight of stairs. I take a few seconds to realize this, before I push myself up, and, deciding that it couldn't worsen my situation any more, I climb the stairs.

When I reach the top, I take a look around. I am rewarded when, to my right, I see the mouth of the cave. I close my eyes, and let out a sigh of relief. I open them again to see that the mouth of the cave had suddenly closed.

That's it. This cave is screwing with me.

I close my eyes, and open them again. Nothing. Again. Nothing. On the third time, the mouth of the cave is visible again, and I take the opportunity.

I find myself in a small, forested area. A river flowing from a stream abruptly stops, and the water drops into a hole in the ground. I peer down the hole, and am not surprised to see the floor of the cave below.

To my surprise, I see a figure cross the floor below. It looks like some sort of lizard. Its tail is what sets it apart, however. On the end, a small flame lights the area around it.

Several seconds pass before something clicks in my head.

_It's called a Charmander._

The Charmander looks up towards the hole in the ceiling, and sees me. She calls up.

"Hey! You! Um, a little help, please?"

There is a silence of several seconds, before a panic button lights up in my head. I just head a Pokemon speak. That isn't supposed to happen, is it?

I lean down, and answer weakly, "Wh-What kind of h-help do you n-need?

"Just a rope or something like that. If I know where I am, the trees around you should have some vines in them. If you can toss one down, I might be able to get out."

I nod, still frightened. I move over to the trees, careful to move quietly, in case some more talking Pokemon decide to show up.

It's then that I catch sight of the lake out of the corner of my eye. It takes a second for it to register. But there can be no mistaking it- my reflection is invisible, and there is a scared-looking Totodile following me. I turn around, with the intent of asking this Totodile if it needs help as well. But, there is no one there. I turn back to the water.

The Totodile has moved. He now looks concerned, and is in front of me. I look down, expecting him to be at my feet. He isn't there, but a pair of sky-blue reptilian feet is.

I nearly faint.

"Hey, what's taking so long up there?"

I turn, and answer back, praying that my voice doesn't sound as scared as I feel. "Nothing. One second, please."

I grab a vine from a nearby tree, and stand on the edge of the hole.

"Vine coming your way! Can you reach it?"

Several seconds pass before, "Yeah, got it!"

There is a sharp tug on the rope, and I begin to pull up. She is about my weight, but somehow, I don't have much trouble hauling her up.

Before long, her head pokes out of the hole. She pulls herself out, and strides over to me.

"Hey, thanks! I've been wandering down there lost for hours! Lucky thing you came by, huh?"

If she says anything else, I don't hear it. I'm already gone, running as fast as my stubby legs will carry me. I need some time alone to think about why this happened. And, perhaps more importantly, what to do now.


	2. Entry 2

September 11th

Something feels off as I wake up. Then, I remember the events of yesterday, and realize that I achieved nothing last night. My aim was to try to figure out what to do next, yet here I am, still having made no progress.

I take stock of where I finally collapsed last night. I fell asleep at the base of a tree, surrounded by other miscellaneous flora. I note the fact that the air smells very refreshing before I notice a basketful of berries sitting in the middle of the clearing.

I begin to move towards it, when I suddenly begin to have doubts. Who put the basket out here? Did someone leave it out here for me? Or did they leave it here thinking no one would steal from it? I really should leave it alone. Besides, maybe it's a trap of some sort.

Still, it's first thing in the morning, and I am hungry…

I approach the basket, when all of a sudden, it jerks to the side. Confused, I follow it, and notice a length of rope attached. I step closer, and a large jerk is given to the rope. I take a dive towards it, and do a terrific faceplant as I miss.

I pick myself up, and begin to chase the basket, now being pulled at quickly across the ground. Somewhere, in the back of my head, something becomes painfully clear.

_Someone is pulling it from the other end. I'm being played for an idiot_

I decide that this has to end. I put on an extra burst of speed, and fall on top of it. I think that I have it secured, but, to my surprise, it is still pulled. I am now being led along with the basket.

After a few seconds, the basket is yanked into the air, and me along with it. I am now dangling ten feet or so from the ground, holding on for dear life. I am unsure of what my endurance is, but I get the feeling that if I let go, the forest floor will have a fresh blue splatter.

I stare upwards, and notice that the rope is hanging over a tree branch. On the ground, I notice a few rocks on top of it, with a small hollow. Whoever was puling the basket was using some kind of primitive pulley system, and is therefore definitely on the ground. I turn my gaze downward.

The Charmander from yesterday is walking below, looking a bit confused. She is scanning the area, as if she is expecting someone. She suddenly peers upward, and is shocked to see me hanging there.

"Ack! I'm so sorry! Don't let go, I'll get you down in a moment! Just hold on!"

I note her ironic choice of words. Several seconds pass before I feel the rope jiggle, and then I'm slowly lowered to the ground.

The Charmander steps out from the bushes again, and she appears relieved that I'm okay. She steps over towards me, and speaks.

"I'm very sorry about that. I didn't think that you'd be able to actually catch the basket. The idea was that you'd chase it until it got yanked into the air. Then I'd come out, and offer to bring the basket down in exchange for some info, namely who you are and why you bolted after helping me last night."

I wonder if she usually explains the details to her plans so thoroughly.

I nod, and answer. "Alright, I'll talk. But the basket's on the ground right now. What are you going to use for leverage?"

She smiles. "Now that I have your cooperation, what do I need leverage for? Help yourself."

I sit down, and pull some berries out of the basket. Between mouthfuls, I ask, "So, what do you want to know?"

"Well, your name would be a good start. What is it?"

I'm taken aback as I realize that I don't know. I tell her this, and she seems surprised, to say the least.

"You don't remember your own name? Gosh, what a weirdo I've found. What **do** you remember?"

I think for a minute. What do I actually remember? I try to dredge up memories, personal details, and even my personality. The best I get is a lot of academic knowledge, and the fact that I'm supposed to be human. I tell her, and she does a double take.

"Human? Really? Hm…."

She begins to pace.

"It might not be a good idea to tell people around here. They may be friendly, but there are certain things that you just can't say to them. For your protection, let's keep that under wraps.

"As far as your name, it's a shame you can't remember it. And I can't just go around calling you 'you' all the time. We'll have to come up with a name for you later."

She turns to face me.

"Listen, I can probably guess why you ran last night. It must be terrifying to suddenly be removed from everyone and everything you know. It has to be even worse with no memories of what you miss. Then, to have something that you have believed your entire life to be impossible suddenly occurring, you must have been scared out of your mind. So, I'll give you some help. I know this area better than most. You can bunk with me; it's not a problem."

I sit silently for a few seconds, and then realize that she had just solved all of my problems. I stand up, and hold my hand out.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I'll be honored to accept. Can I have your name?"

She smiles.

"I'm Kim; nice to meet you. As for your name… I guess you can be Heath. Does that sound good to you?"

I nod, and she smiles.

"Okay then, Heath. Let's head to my place for a while. We can figure out what to do there."


End file.
